Enfield Shaker Sour Milk Doughnuts Recipe

Two eggs, one cup sugar, one tablespoon melted butter, one cup thick sour milk, half a teaspoon nutmeg, half a teaspoon ginger, one teaspoon baking powder, one third teaspoon salt, four cups flour. Beat eggs thoroughly, add sugar, butter, and sour milk in which soda has been dissolved. Then add two cups flour sifted with baking powder and add two more cups flour.

Beat egg and whisk in buttermilk and sugar.

In a small bowl blend together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, ground ginger, and nutmeg.

Melt the butter. Quickly mix the dry ingredients with the wet and stir in the melted butter. The dough will be quite soft, but if you keep your work surfaces sprinkled with flour, you can deal with it.

Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead it four or five times to incorporate all the bits of flour. With a well-floured rolling pin roll the dough out until it’s about 1/2 inch thick.

With a doughnut cutter dipped in flour cut out the doughnuts. Save the holes or re-roll them with leftover dough.

Heat oil in deep fryer or heavy pot.

When the fat is 365-375° Fahrenheit, fry the doughnuts a few at a time, flipping them over after a minute and fry them another minute. Flip them a third time and fry for another 30 seconds. Drain on paper towels or brown paper grocery bags.

Roll the warm doughnuts in cinnamon sugar (optional).

YIELDS ABOUT 12 DOUGHNUTS AND 6 HOLES.

Kitchen-Tester’s Note: If you don’t have buttermilk, you can substitute 1/2 cup whole milk mixed with 1 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice or vinegar. Stir and let sit for 10 minutes before using. It should look a bit curdled.

This recipe first appeared in Shaker Recipes for Cooks and Homemakers, by William Lassiter (New York: Greenwich Book Publishers, 1959, p. 148) and is attributed to Sister Martha Wetherhill. Shaker Recipes for Cooks and Homemakers was reprinted by Bonanza Books in 1978 under the title Shaker Recipes and Formulas for Cooks and Homemakers. Both editions are out of print, but are available at reasonable cost at www.abebooks.com or www.eBay.com.